Sometimes in marketing, there can be a tendency to create a business image that looks amazing in the public eye but doesn't remotely reflect the true nature or authenticity of the actual business.
With a windfall of flawless stock art (or reusable staged photos) that depict various scenarios, it's become far too easy to build an e-version of any business in the world.
But real marketing is much, much more than pretty pictures on a website or social media page. Yes, you want to put your best foot forward...YOUR best foot, not an imaginary version.
Real marketing delves right into the heart of storytelling, finds those things that are unique, special or even an oddity about a person or the people connected with that business and uses it to help potential customers learn more about that business while connecting to the stories behind the faces.
Maybe the owner of a dental office is a die-hard lover of french poodles and as a side hobby enters their own pet in dog shows across the country. Perhaps there is a new jazz pub whose owner was a former Olympic skater who found her passion for providing great food as an accidental tourist.
At the end of the day, people respond far better to authenticity or showing the real version of a business versus the make-believe version that employs a virtual mask.
If your BBQ restaurant features a special mouth-watering sauce made with a secret recipe from your grandmother, people want to know that. If your restaurants' eating area is the size of a cardboard box and potential customers should embrace you as a takeout joint, share that reality in your marketing pitch too. There are millions of BBQ joints across the country but unless you're a franchise, there's likely only one that's exactly like yours. Embrace it and leave the masks for Mardi Gras, masquerade balls or Halloween!